West defeats East in Earl Barden Classic

YAKIMA — Saturday’s Earl Barden Classic in Yakima saw the West end the East’s four-game winning streak in the all-state football game, taking home a 34-7 win while stifling the East’s offense.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes — there’s got to be a loser and there’s got to be a winner,” Ephrata’s Eric O’Neel said. 

The Earl Barden Classic selects the top graduating seniors in the 2A, 1A and 2B classifications from across the state, meeting to play after a week of practices at East Valley High School in Yakima. Four players from the Columbia Basin were selected to play in the game; O’Neel, Othello’s Alex Mendez and Royal’s Case Christensen and Bennett Brown.

“It meant a lot,” Mendez said of being selected to play in the game. “It meant that I belong and that I can play at the next level. Now I’ve got more confidence in myself going into college.”

All four local athletes started at varying positions; Mendez started the game as one of the kickoff returners, O’Neel handled kickoff and punting duties, Brown started at tight end and Christensen started at wide receiver.

“This was awesome — the scoreboard wasn’t what we wanted, but being a part of this team was awesome,” Brown said. “I’ve for sure made some life-long friends out here. This is sweet.”

Mendez totaled 18 yards on three carries coming out of the backfield. The Othello High School graduate, who is going on to play football at the University of Saint Mary in Kansas, also spent time at cornerback on Saturday.

“It was really exciting, it was nice to be around a group of guys that are really good,” Mendez said. “The talent with everybody, it was really competitive. It was really fun.”

Brown caught two passes for seven yards from tight end, also playing on the kickoff team.

“The first two days were kind of a grind, double practices, but once we got into the swing of things and started to get warm with each other it was a blast,” Brown said. 

Along with his starts on special teams, O’Neel played both tight end and linebacker for the East. The Ephrata High School graduate converted on his lone extra-point attempt.

“I’m usually a d-end but they switched me to linebacker, and I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s do this!’” O’Neel said. “The snaps were low (for punts), but I got them off somehow. That’s all that matters.”

Christensen caught six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in the game, earning East Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. He’s the second straight player from Royal to win the award — 2023 graduate Kaleb Hernandez won the award in last year’s edition of the game.

“It was fun to get it,” Christensen said. 

The Royal High School graduate scored East’s only touchdown of the game, hauling in a 31-yard reception on a pass from Omak High School’s Beau Sackman in the second quarter.

“I was out wide and I saw the Anacortes safety — that dude’s good, he was on me all game — but that play he was cheating a little bit, and I knew if I got behind him I’d be open,” Christensen said. “I ran the corner and got to the corner.”

Throughout the week, players from both the East and West teams competed in friendly competitions like rock-paper-scissors, 3-on-3 basketball, Spikeball, bowling, juggling and belly flops to earn the right to be the home team in Saturday’s football game. The East team came out on top and was the home team.

“That was fun — you didn’t know who was doing what, so they told you right before,” Brown said. “It was kind of out there on the fly and competing, which is fun.”

West took a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, which East answered with a touchdown catch by Christensen on their next offensive possession. After West scored another touchdown to go up 20-7 with 1:41 remaining in the half, East marched down to the West 15-yard line but failed to reach the end zone, with the half ending on a sack.

West added additional touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to claim its eventual 34-7 win.

“They were really good,” Brown said. “I think we just got lost with their defense and couldn’t get the right routes.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com. 

Box score

WEST: 8-12-6-8 34

EAST: 0-7-0-0 7

    Royal’s Case Christensen, in blue, hauls in a 31-yard touchdown pass from Omak’s Beau Sackman in the second quarter of Saturday’s Earl Barden Classic in Yakima. Christensen won the East Offensive Most Valuable Player award after posting six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown in the game.
  

    Ephrata’s Eric O’Neel (11) blocks for a teammate during Saturday’s Earl Barden Classic in Yakima. O’Neel played four positions for the East in the game – tight end, linebacker, kicker and punter.
  

    Othello’s Alex Mendez (2) carries the ball on a running play in the third quarter of Saturday’s Earl Barden Classic in Yakima. Mendez had three carries for 18 yards in the game.
  

    Royal’s Bennett Brown, foreground, catches a pass in the first half of Saturday’s Earl Barden Classic in Yakima. Brown caught two passes for seven yards in the game.